Boy oh boy, it has been a second since I've written a book review. And that certainly does not reflect my book reading as of late: I have been killing my 25 book goal for the year and am currently sitting at 14 books read (and many in progress). One of my most recent books read is "The Sun Is Also A Star" by Nicola Yoon, yet another read spurred by my Young Adult Literature class.
This book has been on my radar since it broke into the "literary sphere" after being published in 2016. But, like many other books I have reviewed, I didn't quite get to until it was assigned to me for class.
The novel follows the twisting love journey of Daniel, a Korean-American boy born by Korean immigrants, and Natasha, an undocumented young woman about to be deported to Jamaica. It discusses, in heavy detail, the complexity of coincidences and minute details and choices and their subsequent effect on our lives.
Natasha does not believe in love. Daniel is the human definition of ooey-gooey love. And he challenges Natasha at the beginning of the narrative that he can make her fall in love with him in one day upon meeting her in a record store and coincidentally saving her from being hit by an inattentive driver. I won't go into to much detail about what occurs post-challenge, but it is full of questions, cliff hangers, plot twists, and more than enough teen love.
Yoon injects scientific narratives about stars, the sun, and much more into the winding plot. She gives the reader a small glimpse into the lives of the more minor characters to help aid in the emphasis of coincidences and fate strewn throughout the novel.
Overall, the book is a good, easy, and engaging read. And that certainly does not discredit its literary merit and importance. I firmly believe that every young (and old) person interested in Young Adult Literature should read this novel. 15/10 would recommend.
